Centrino 2 platform wipes the slate clean for vendors' midrange notebooks

Intel's official go-ahead with its new mobility and connectivity platform means vendors now can overhaul their product lines. But this time they're not starting with the luxury models, instead focusing on practicality and even savings.

The success of Intel's Centrino and Centrino Pro branding has centered around reinforcing the customer's perception of reliability, perhaps more importantly than even performance. So as the Centrino 2 platform kicks off -- albeit a few weeks late -- the changes to manufacturers' product lines, to be seen next month, are being made from the middle down.

Lenovo is completely wiping its slate clean in its midrange and subnotebook segments, with a total of nine new ThinkPad models for the business side, and four IdeaPad models for consumers. With ThinkPads, the distinction remains in the company's branding, with its "R" series being the workhorse, and the "T" series adding some premium features like webcams. Here's an interesting Intel feature that Lenovo is exploiting for its new "T" models: You can switch (apparently while still "hot") between integrated and discrete graphics, especially for when you switch to battery power and you need to conserve a little more.

The company is adding a "W" class workstation series based on Centrino 2, starting at the $2,000 price point; and a new subnotebook "SL" class at $799 and up that emphasizes power savings, including an optional display backlit by LEDs rather than the traditional fluorescent lamp.

Since it assumed a brand in its own right after IBM stepped out of the PC manufacturing business, Lenovo has never really been associated with style. ThinkPads and IdeaPads have been respectable, and they're certainly not ugly, though like unmarked police vehicles, they usually fade into the background. Today, Lenovo decided it will dip its feet into the shallow end of the style pool, with the option of color for its IdeaPads. The slim, 13" U330 will be available in a choice of indigo or "Bold black" (capital "B" for "Bold," as opposed to ordinary black), and will also feature the switchable graphics power-saver; while the 14" "widescreen" Y430 (16:9 ratio) will have not only a crimson option (which should go over well in Alabama and Oklahoma) but an available Blu-ray drive upgrade. Suggested pricing for IdeaPads has not been announced.

Acer's new models were not formally announced today, although word of their existence was passed on by Laptop magazine. Based on pictures, there's no new styles for Acer's Centrino 2 line, as the vendor already upgraded its case designs in recent months. Instead, look for the new model TravelMate 6493 to go the full route with Centrino 2, including the vPro option that enables the Trusted Platform -- an option which Intel suggests only really makes sense for business users. This is as 14.1" model with 4 GB of DRAM (which you need for Vista) and 320 GB of storage. Judging from Acer's history, that model will probably go for under $1,200, though Acer has yet to release pricing.

Sony is the one that typically makes waves in the style department, and this week is no exception. Our Jacqueline Emigh attended the big New York gala where Sony unveiled several new series, including -- ironically -- its first with a Blu-ray drive option.

Asus made its reputation in North America for producing superb desktop motherboards, so it's enthusiasts who expect Asus to make optimum use of a new technology most creatively. On Intel's own developer blogs last May, when the company wanted to give an early peek at what Centrino Duo would accomplish in a finished package, especially for Mobile WiMAX, it chose an early release of Asus' 15.4" M51VA.

As Senior Marketing Engineer Craig Raymond wrote last May from the Computex show in Taipei, after testing the M51VA with World of Warcraft using Mobile WiMAX (in a country that has Mobile WiMAX), "The best part of it all? It feels like Wi-Fi, but I'm outside, and I can't even see a Starbucks from where I'm at. Freedom! Only thing I have to worry about is the rain."

That M51VA being tested used a 2.4 GHz P8600 processor, which is not even the fastest one supported by Centrino 2's Mobile GM45 Express Chipset. Today, the company announced the 2.53 GHz T9600, for only a small step up in wholesale price (about $75 in quantity). There's no hard news from Asus today, though enthusiasts may expect Asus -- more than anyone else -- to build a system that takes advantage of Intel's "sweet spot" for price/performance.

Toshiba is putting Centrino 2 to work in its business laptop lines: specifically, its 14.1" Tecra M10 and 15.4" Tecra A10 models. Both will feature Intel's vPro business platform, which in turn enables the Trusted Computing Platform. For companies that are establishing TCP baselines for mobile connectivity to the company network, this is a critical feature. Also, both models will include NVidia's Quadro NVS graphics chipset, which is the mobile version of its GPUs originally developed for workstations, and for businesses that require professional, mobile rendering. The A10 includes special provisions for adapting to a projector, so Toshiba is positioning this model as the optimum system for mobile professionals who give presentations. Pricing has not been announced, but expect no less than $1,600 - $1,800 for base models.

HP let everyone know last June what it was up to, even while Intel delayed its Centrino 2 rollout for a few weeks: At a show in Berlin, it gave everyone a peek at its new EliteBook series. If Lenovo's idea of style is a choice of two colors, HP's 14.1" EliteBook 6930p borrows a page from its VooDoo PC division: adopting a magnesium alloy chassis with an anodized aluminum exterior, given what's been described as an automotive-grade clear-coat finish. EliteBooks will offer customers the option of Intel's built-in GMA graphics or ATI's Radeon HD 3470 with 256 GB dedicated memory. Starting price was announced last June at $1,179.

Meanwhile, HP will be distributing Centrino 2 upgrades throughout the Compaq product line, including its 14.1" 65xx series, 15.4" 67xx series, and 17" 68xx series; and also throughout its Pavilion series, with three new models there in each display factor. The mid-range 15.4" Pavilion dv5t will start at $899 with Intel's GMA graphics, though is expected to be available with $100 manufacturer's rebate.

The one manufacturer we haven't heard much from yet is Dell. Last spring, the company stated it plans to adapt its Latitude XT series for Centrino 2, and didn't expect to be affected by Intel's delays.